Robert Stevenson secures £2m Fine for Two Companies In Breach of Health and Safety Laws

Instructed by the Health & Safety Executive, last week, Robert Stevenson secured the conviction of two companies for breaching health and safety regulations resulting in the death of a 36-year-old worker, Mr. David Beresford.

Mr. Beresford was unloading large heating pipes from a trailer into containers on site. The pipes were being lifted and moved using an excavator and were incorrectly stacked above the top edge of the containers. During positioning of the pipes, two of them rolled off and fell into a gap between two containers; Mr. Beresford, was standing within this gap.

Each defendant company received a fine of £1m and were ordered to pay significant costs. The trial was heard before HHJ Reeds QC at Sheffield Crown Court.

Robert Stevenson is ranked in Tier 1 for ‘Regulatory, Health and Safety and Licensing’ in The Legal 500 (2017) and is a specialist regulatory advocate for health & safety and environmental law.

He has appeared in several health & safety cases involving allegations of serious breaches of the health & safety regulations, including cases resulting in death, loss of limb(s) or other severe injury.